


Failing in Love

by petitepolaris



Category: Bleach
Genre: 15/17, Non-shini Au, Vague Mentions of Suicide, karin is older, platonic baths, pls dont ask for smut, thats just not what baths are for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitepolaris/pseuds/petitepolaris
Summary: There isn't much Toshiro wouldn't do to stay with his best friend.Including failing. If she doesn't write a report neither does he. If she doesn't turn in a project neither does he. If she doesn't pass a test, he probably still does. Not that he's happy about it.
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kurosaki Karin
Kudos: 10





	Failing in Love

Toshiro frowns down at the street he was to meet up with Karin who stubbornly insisted they spend the day out side. Offering an extra pair of gloves as if it’d solve every problem with what was surely a terrible idea. He steps into the edge of the street on his toe trying to avoid the water pooling there as he awkwardly trots across.  
Karin doesn’t understand the problem. She laughs and laughs and laughs some more. She can’t believe he doesn’t like snow. Most snow. City snow that's muddy and full of gravel. Its strange to think about how the mud in the snow bothers him when he spend a majority of summer with out shoes, feet muddy and wet. Or that's how it had been the past few summers they spent together outside. Perhaps he grew out of it last summer when he failed on purpose so he could still spend it with Her.

Karin waves the gloves in the air as she sees Toshiro work his way between the piles of snow toward her. “Over here! I got your gloves!”This particular pile of snow was fairly free of mud and rocks but of course it doesn’t make him like it anymore. Its wet heavy snow. The kind that soaks through his gloves when he holds. Wet snow that dampens the bottom of his folded jeans that are much too long for him and seeps into his shoes wetting his socks.

“Sorry it took so long.” He doesn’t sound sorry as he pulls on the gloves over the cheep pair he already wore. “Shoveling.”

“s’kay” she pulls the hat she’s wearing off from over her earmuffs. Toshiro tries to duck away from her when she yanks it down past his ear. She pulls him back by his scarf. “If your going to wear a scarf wear it right”

“What’s the direly important thing you need me out her for?” He tugs his scarf loosening it back to the way it had previously been.

“Well,” she pushes him toward the snow. “It’s not gonna last for ever.  
The pile she’d been waiting by was by far the largest he’d seen since the snow had started falling that year.

Karins scoops some snow up near the base of the pile and tosses it toward but not at him. “And your doing?”

“I’m” she tosses more snow his way “going to prove to you how great wet snow is. Way way better than the stupid powdery aesthetic you like. Can’t make a fort outta that.”Karin listens to him grumble quiet protest. It’s more to himself than her and she can’t help but let out a little laugh as he crouches down and starts digging anyways.

Soon his socks are soggy and the only feeling from his toes are a sting as he wiggles them. “Can we go yet?” It’d been a bit over an hour and he’s shivering with hands pulled into his sleeves and tucked under his arms. “Aren’t you cold?”

She glances over at him when she hears the quiet concern. Karin bumps her should against him in an attempt to reassure him. “s’not that bad.”

He crouches back down beside her pats at her knee trying to get her to look down and see how wet he pants were starting to get. “Sun going down” He stands back up poking his hand out of his sleeve and offering it to Karin. “We can go to mine?”

She takes his hand letting him pull her up off the ground. She pats as much of the snow off herself as she can. A big grin as she pulls him away from the tunnel they had been digging.

“You gonna let me stay the whole night?

\---

Toshiro winces at the sound of Karins shoes colliding against the wall as she kicks them off. He collects her shoes after removing his own and places them neatly to the side. At the very least she wasn’t tracking mud all over the cream carpet that lined most the first floor and the narrow stair way of the small House.

After straightening up the shoes he peaks into the rooms of the house confirming what he already knew. That no one else was home if there was then they’d already would have scolded him about the energetic girl racing up the stairs. After the quick check he back tracks to the kitchen and immediately pulls out the double step stool. All the best snack we’re tucked in the top shelves including the marshmallows and cocoa which he scoops off the shelf and out of the cabinet. Leaving them on the counter Toshiro sets out to fetch a pair of frosty glass mugs, saucepan and some milk.  
He hums quietly as he stirs the milk watching carefully for any signs of burning. He stirs in the cocoa powder and a bit of sugar from the jar that rest on the counter. He taste and adjust the content until he’s satisfied and separates it into the cups. Topping Karin’s with a handful of mini mallows and cinnamon on his own.

Toshiro smiles as he treks up the staircase to his room cocoa in hand and still quietly humming. He’s greeted by the sight of an open dresser and half its content on the floor. With the culprit no where in site. Toshiro turns back to the hall, curious or not he knows she wouldn’t snoop in any of the other bedroom especially when there was no sign that she’d dug through anything but his dresser.

“Karin,” he taps the wall by the bathroom with the side of his foot.

“Yeah, m'here” Toshiro hears the water as she shifts and the door handle rattle before clicking open just a tiny bit. He listens quietly waiting for the sounds of the water to settle before peaking in.

"Cocoa" He shuffles in quietly, even though it wasn't the first time he was present while she was in the bath he stills feels a bit awkward stepping in. 

"Thanks." Karin was leaning against the side with her arms dangling over the side. One hand stretched out ready to take the mug from him.

Toshiro sets his mug down after a moment deciding it was much too warm to drink at the moment. "The water doesn't look very warm."

The tips of Toshiros ears pinken as what he's said and the implications of the words. Hearing Karin laugh makes the color spread to the rest of his face. "ooh, is today the day you stop being so shy?" Karin straightens up setting her mostly empty mug next to his. She tugs his shoulder gently in an attempt to get him to turn back around. "ya know," She pats his head and runs her fingers through his hair, "You are still in wet clothes."

The only thing Toshiro had removed was the wet sock he'd left laying on his shoes.

Despite how long she’s known him and how many test he’d failed and how many assignments he neglected to stay with her, there were still new things about him everyday. She hoped the lack of a response, of some sort smack on the hand that was still twirling his hair or stumbling over some form of excuse, wasn’t a sign of some unknown boundary that she’d crossed.

"You sure?" Karin can barely hear him only certain he'd spoke from the way he peers over his shoulder. There is a moment of awkward eye contact before he's holding her hand. She moves them pressing her hand to his face soothing any concerns as one of her infectious grins spread across her face.

It's enough of an answer and peels his shirt up over his head. he can hear the water slosh around as he peels off his jeans and everything else. He slides in with his Mug of cold cocoa, Their legs hanging over the edge as the water threatens to flood over."Definitely too cold."

Despite being closest to the faucet Karin doesn't do anything to remedy it, instead just slides down further and leans on Toshiro and watches the way he curls and uncurls his toes as he sips his drink clearly content being squished side by side in the bath even if they had both felt a moment of hesitation. She's almost certain that this is something most friends don't do But Karin isn't sure what they actually are and doesn't really care. Though she assumes that he does even if only a little.  
Eventually the lukewarm water stops being warm at all and they reluctantly climb out. Karin towels off while Toshiro drains the tub. When Toshiro set's the cups he realizes he hadn't brought any clothes in. His cheeks flush, they hadn't been looking at each other just enjoying the water as they soaked and the closeness of each other and Karin's laughter sends him scrambling for a towel only sparing a glance after he's secured the towel around his torso.

"Tosh It's," she points at her ankles, "It's too" He frowns when he realizes what shes about to say. "They're too short."  
He marches off to his room pouting a just a little. The pants were too long for him but apparently Too short for her and he hates her just a little bit for it. He's suppose to be taller, boys are suppose to be taller. But at the very least it wasn't him she was actually laughing at and He reminds himself that soon he will be taller. That he's 14 and still has time.  
"It's not that funny." He pulls his shirt down as Karin steps in.

"You should get more variety." she tugs at the shirt she wore. It was the same a Washed out teal tank As him paired with the same grey pants. 

He doesn't glance up at her, instead focusing on the task of folding all the clothes she pulled out while she likely searching for variety and bright colors. Karin seats herself next to him and starts to sort the mess she'd made. Pants, shorts, jeans. Long sleeve, short sleeve, none. 

"I like to match, or the idea I suppose." Toshiro waits for her to laugh as he jams the drawer of shirts shut. Karin almost doesn't hear him and it takes her a minute to connect the the statement to the topic that she'd nearly forgot while she busied herself with his clothes. She turns to him with a big grin but it quickly melts away as she sees Toshiro leave the room.  
With a sigh she settles down on his bed unsure what exactly could have upset him. His clothes couldn't have been that big of a deal

Karin stares at his ceiling and counts all the stars plastered there. Bright pink and electric blue.She wasn't sure if they were in actual constellations or not, but she always felt odd when she thought to ask him and so she never did.  
She rolls over and picks at the loose strings on his blanket and Toshiro's bed is softer than she remembers but she really hadn't been on it enough to really know. After all being at Toshiro's was usually snacks in the kitchen before they took off to who knows where doing the stupidest possible thing they could probably think off. Rarely was it sitting in the main room watching movies and getting scolded by his sister for eating on the couch. Even rarer was it sitting on his bed that she swear is softer than it was before. When she let's her face fall down against the violet blankets of his bed, trying to sort all the thoughts she had on things she hadn't considered before she notices the bed didn't really smell like him. Before she could further ponder whether or not they were actually his blankets Toshiro stepped back into the room a few pillows and blankets in hand. He drops them down on the dark wood floor, apparently they tore out the carpet after it got stained from vomit. Karin is almost certain that he did it on purpose, just like they way he failed half his test or neglected to turn in half his assignments. Most of if not all the things he did were careful and with purpose.

"Got blankets for you." Toshiro drops down on the bed beside her Legs dangling off the side of the twin mattress. 

"Maaaybe I don't want those blankets. Maybe i want these." She tucks her face into the blanket in protest still trying to identify the smell that definitely should be Toshiro's but isn't. "Bet these aren't even yours." It's a quiet after thought that's not really intended for him.

"My blankets aren't going on the floor." He pulls as much of the blanket into his arms the only section free from his hands rest under Karin.  
"Don't be selfish." she pulls back.  
"You're going to rip it."  
"Then let go."  
"No. It's mine."

Then it comes to her. 

"Did you just clean your room?" Karin moves off the blanket and lets him tumble to the floor. At the lack of an answer she peers over the side of the bed. "You clean every damn time don't you." She has a wide grin as she stares down at him.

"Hinamori said you should clean before you have company over." He buries his face in his blanket and refuses to look up at her.

"How bad could it have been before."

He doesn't acknowledge the statement as He fishes a box out from under the bed. "Movie?"

"don't wanna go down stairs."

"I know." Toshiro retrieves the the old outdated laptop from his desk. "Not the most impressive thing but it'll get the job done."

Karin sighs.The movie collection was lacking anything in the horror and suspense side of the spectrum which is a little disappointing to her. The majority of the collection was about the ocean or nature in general. It makes her assume that a majority of the movies they watched didn't actually belong to him. She briefly wonders if he'd liked any of them or just tolerated them for her.

"This one." The movie she pulls out had a dark navy cover and what appeared to be an angler fish. An orb of light above to glowing eyes.She would tolerate a documentary about the deep dark depths of the ocean just like all the movies that Toshiro had seemed to tolerate for her. He gives her a small nod of acknowledgement. He takes the dvd from her hands and settles down on the floor. "Get down here, there is more space."

"Why so much on the ocean" she bites her lip, the more she looks at his room the more she realizes that he has a lot of interest that he's kept to himself.

He sighs when she doesn't move from her place on his bed and opts to move all the blankets to the bed rather than move the stubborn girl to the floor. It takes them a few minutes for the both of them to get organized comfortably in the nest of blankets and carefully balance the laptop between them. He offers her one of the earbuds as he plugs them in. Karin tries not to think of the kids at school and how according to them this kind of behavior is apparently inappropriate. How sharing with Toshiro is some how poor behavior.

As the movie on the dark wonders of the ocean all it's hidden mysteries begins his voice pulls her back from all the mocking voices of the girls at school. "Sometimes," A chill runs down her spine as he slouches against her. She had a strong feeling that this was going to be an answer she didn't like. "It's just nice to think about another world. One that isn't our own"

His tone as he speaks doesn't sit well with her.

"Sounds more like an interest in dying than the ocean." It's out before she can stop it and knows there is no way to salvage the conversation. No way to turn it into a fun indulgence of his interest.

"Do you think i have a reason to want to die?" He never seem to be bothered bothered by any gossip about him. Always says it doesn't matter. Says if there is a time it becomes to much he can just leave it behind. And Karin always assumed he meant School. That he could just do his work and continue to skip further head. Start over in a new school. With a new class and make new friends. With the talk of other worlds she begins to think other wise.

"Depends," she does her best to sound unbothered, "are you going to stick around and Haunt me. Make all the spooky noise in the night." It's difficult for her to think of a world with out him. With out her friend who failed half his classes so he still could spend the summer with her. A best friend who sneaks out of his house at 1am and she's upset. 

"Does haunting have to be bad thing?" Karin catches a bit of hurt in his voice and doesn't really know how to even begin to offer him comfort let alone have the courage to ask him what's wrong in his 'world' so she presses closer and hope that for now it's enough.

**Author's Note:**

> spoiler: he never gets taller than her.


End file.
